Normanton, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NormantonQueensland |
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Entry into Normanton
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 Normanton
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 1,257 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.17552/km2 (0.4546/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1867 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4890 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 7,161.7 km2 (2,765.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Carpentaria | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Traeger | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Kennedy | ||||||||||||||
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Normanton is an outback town and coastal locality in the Shire of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Normanton had a population of 1,257 people, of whom 750 (60%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, while the town of Normanton had a population of 1,210 people, of whom 743 (62%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
It is the administrative centre of the Shire of Carpentaria. It has a tropical savanna climate and the main economy of the locality is cattle grazing.
The town is one terminus of the isolated Normanton to Croydon railway line, which was built during gold rush days in the 1890s. The Gulflander passenger train operates once a week.
The "Big Barramundi" and a statue of a large saltwater crocodile are notable attractions of the town, along with many heritage-listed sites.
Contents
Geography
Normanton is in the Gulf Country region of northwest Queensland, just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the Norman River.
History
The site for the town was selected because Burketown was abandoned owing to fever and flooding. Settlers moved into the town in 1867. Normanton attracted people from a variety of cultures, including Chinese drawn to the gold fields. The population reached 1,251 by 1891. The gold boom was short-lived. By 1947 the town's population had declined to 234. Norman River Post Office opened on 13 June 1868 and was renamed Normanton by 1872.
In the early years there was a large Aboriginal population as well. Some Aboriginal people were moved to Mornington Island and Doomadgee in the early 20th century.
The town contains the longest intact and operating Burns Philp store in Queensland. The general mercantile store and agency office was opened in 1884.
In 2006 census, the town's population was 1,100, 60 per cent of whom were Indigenous Australians.
Heritage listings
Normanton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Burke and Wills Access Road (Private Road): Burke and Wills Camp B/CXIX
- Burke Developmental Road: Normanton Cemetery
- 27 Haigh Street: Normanton Gaol
- cnr Landsborough Street and Caroline Street: Burns Philp Building
- Landsborough Street: Westpac Bank Building
- Matilda Street: Normanton railway station
- Normanton to Croydon: Normanton to Croydon railway line
Facilities
Normanton has a sports centre, golf course, bowling green, gun club, racecourse, rodeo ground, and an aerodrome. Normanton public library and visitor information services are located in the historic Burns Philp Building.
Transport
Six kilometres south of the town is the start of the Gulf Developmental Road, part of the Savannah Way tourist drive. The Normanton railway station features a large steel frame with an open canopy to provide shade.
Climate
Normanton has a tropical savanna climate with two distinct seasons. There is a hot, humid and extremely uncomfortable wet season from December to March and a hot and generally rainless dry season usually extending from April to November. During the wet season most roads in the area are usually closed by heavy rainfall, which on several occasions has exceeded 650 millimetres (26 in) in a month or 250 millimetres (10 in) in a day from tropical cyclones. On occasions, as with all of Queensland, the wet season may fail and deliver as little as 240 millimetres (9.4 in) between December 1934 and March 1935
Temperatures are uniformly hot, ranging from 36.8 °C (98 °F) in November just before the wet season begins to 29 °C (84 °F) at the height of the dry season in July. In the wet season, temperatures are marginally lower, but extremely high humidity means conditions are very uncomfortable and wet bulb temperatures averages 25 °C (77 °F) and can reach 28 °C (82 °F). In the dry season, lower humidity, cloudless days and cool nights provides for more pleasant conditions.
| Climate data for Normanton Post Office, Queensland | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 43.1 (109.6) |
41.0 (105.8) |
40.1 (104.2) |
39.5 (103.1) |
37.2 (99) |
35.6 (96.1) |
35.6 (96.1) |
38.3 (100.9) |
40.1 (104.2) |
41.8 (107.2) |
43.3 (109.9) |
43.3 (109.9) |
43.3 (109.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 34.7 (94.5) |
33.9 (93) |
34.2 (93.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
31.7 (89.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.1 (84.4) |
31.1 (88) |
33.9 (93) |
35.9 (96.6) |
36.8 (98.2) |
36.1 (97) |
33.4 (92.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 25.1 (77.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.4 (75.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
16.1 (61) |
15.2 (59.4) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.6 (72.7) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.3 (77.5) |
21.3 (70.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 18.3 (64.9) |
17.3 (63.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
7.2 (45) |
6.7 (44.1) |
7.0 (44.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
11.1 (52) |
13.7 (56.7) |
15.5 (59.9) |
18.9 (66) |
6.6 (43.9) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 260.2 (10.244) |
249.2 (9.811) |
157.7 (6.209) |
30.9 (1.217) |
7.5 (0.295) |
9.2 (0.362) |
3.2 (0.126) |
1.7 (0.067) |
3.0 (0.118) |
10.5 (0.413) |
45.1 (1.776) |
144.4 (5.685) |
922.6 (36.323) |
| % Humidity | 74 | 78 | 70 | 57 | 52 | 52 | 48 | 44 | 45 | 49 | 54 | 65 | 57.3 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 13.9 | 13.9 | 9.4 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 4.4 | 9.0 | 57.1 |
Economy
The major industry is cattle grazing with a number of homesteads in the locality, including:
- Glenore (17°51′09″S 141°07′33″E / 17.8525°S 141.1258°E)
- Inverleigh (18°00′25″S 140°33′55″E / 18.0070°S 140.5653°E)
- Magowra (17°46′44″S 140°52′45″E / 17.7789°S 140.8792°E)
- Milgarra (18°11′09″S 140°53′39″E / 18.1857°S 140.8941°E)
- Mutton Hole (17°37′09″S 141°11′10″E / 17.6191°S 141.1862°E)
- Shady Lagoon (17°44′02″S 141°06′08″E / 17.7338°S 141.1022°E)
Tourism
Tourism has recently become an important part of the economy of Normanton, with the Gulflander a significant draw-card.
Among Normanton's most notable features is a statue of an 8.64-metre (28.3 ft) long saltwater crocodile named Krys, the largest ever taken, which was shot by Krystina Pawlowska in July 1957 in the Norman River.
"The Big Barramundi", which is 6 metres (20 ft) long, is also located in the town.
Barramundi and threadfin salmon can be caught in the river.
There are a number of reminders of Normanton's history and development that visitors to the area are still able to see today. These include the Normanton cemetery which dates from 1867, the railway station and the station building both dating from 1891, as well as the former Burns Philp & Co. store.
Normanton railway station is a railway museum and the terminus for rides on the Gulflander (17°40′22″S 141°04′21″E / 17.6728°S 141.0724°E).
The tourist information centre is located in the Burns Philp Building (17°40′04″S 141°04′53″E / 17.6678°S 141.0813°E).
Heritage listings
Normanton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Burke and Wills Access Road (Private Road): Burke and Wills Camp B/CXIX
- Burke Developmental Road: Normanton Cemetery
- 27 Haigh Street: Normanton Gaol
- cnr Landsborough Street and Caroline Street: Burns Philp Building
- Landsborough Street: Westpac Bank Building
- Matilda Street: Normanton railway station
- Normanton to Croydon: Normanton to Croydon railway line
